By Megan took a pregnancy test on a Tuesday morning in late January. She'd been feeling off for a week — tired, slightly nauseous, the kind of symptoms that could be anything but that we've learned to pay attention to. She took the test while I made coffee. She came out of the bathroom holding it. Two lines.
This time was different. Not the panic of the first time, not the guarded terror of the second time, but something between hope and muscle memory. We've been here. We know this road. We know the heartbeat can stop. We know the lines can lie. But we also know — we know in our bones — that this is what we want, and wanting is the bravest thing we do.
"Okay," Megan said. I said, "Okay." She said, "We wait." I said, "We wait." The protocol is established. Wait for twelve weeks. Don't tell anyone. Hold the secret. Protect it. Let it grow.
She went to school. I went to the brewery. We walked through the world carrying the lightest, heaviest secret for the third time, and the world didn't know, and we didn't need it to. Not yet. First the waiting. First the hoping. First the quiet, private miracle of two lines on a test in a bathroom in Bay View at 6:47 AM on a Tuesday in January.
Made ginger tea and plain toast for Megan's breakfast. The morning sickness protocol. The nausea that means things are working. I drove to the brewery and brewed a pale ale and checked the sour barrels and pretended everything was normal and nothing was normal and I hummed the entire day. The humming gives me away. I can't help it. Babcia's gift. Babcia's tell.
The ginger tea and plain toast I made that Tuesday morning are a protocol we’ve built over time — but on the days when nausea is softer, when the body asks for something a little more nourishing without demanding too much, this strawberry banana yogurt smoothie is what I reach for. It’s cold and easy and sweet in a way that doesn’t feel like a risk, and it goes down gently when the world feels both impossibly fragile and quietly, stubbornly full of hope. I hummed the whole time I made it. I couldn’t help it.
Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled
- 1 medium ripe banana, sliced (frozen works great)
- 3/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional, to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 4–5 ice cubes (if using fresh fruit)
Instructions
- Prep the fruit. If using fresh strawberries, hull and halve them. Peel and slice the banana. For a thicker, colder smoothie, use frozen versions of either or both.
- Add to blender. Place the strawberries, banana, yogurt, and milk into a blender. Add honey and vanilla extract if using.
- Blend. Blend on high for 45–60 seconds until completely smooth. If the smoothie is too thick, add a splash more milk and blend briefly. If using fresh fruit, add ice cubes and blend again until smooth.
- Taste and adjust. Taste for sweetness and add a small drizzle of honey if needed. Blend for another 10 seconds to incorporate.
- Serve immediately. Pour into two glasses and serve right away for best texture and flavor.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 185 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 65mg